A Mistake?
by moviefreak4634
Summary: A mistake. That’s all it had been – a mistake. -- Shows the Chameron relationship from Cameron's POV -- Contains Season 2's "Hunting" and Season 3 from "Insensitive" to "Human Error"


Author's Note: I finally got this typed. I wrote it over the school year, and now that school's over, I've had bunches of free time. So I typed this up. It's kind of like some of my other stories - you know, Chameron from Cameron's POV - but enjoy anyway.

Disclaimer: I only own House, M.D., in my dreams, not in real life.

* * *

A mistake. That's all it had been – a mistake. She had needed someone, needed to get away from the despair, to just let go and feel, and Chase had been there.

No, that wasn't right, Cameron corrected herself. She had called Chase there, knowing he wouldn't, couldn't resist. She had used him.

Was that why she had chosen him? Over anyone else she could've called? Or was there another reason, a deeper reason?

Foreman had warned her once about hurting Chase, about how he liked her, but Cameron hadn't listened. In fact, just a little while later, she'd opened up a new can of worms by bringing up sex with him. Still, it hadn't ever really been a problem.

Had she used Chase because of that? Because he liked her? Had it been a punishment, or had she just wanted to feel needed since she was possibly about to die? Or had Chase's just been the first number she found? Maybe she'd dialed because it was easy, and she had been high. It could be that simple, she supposed, but nothing with Chase was ever simple.

And she'd just had to prove that later, hadn't she? Cameron – the strong, independent, loving Cameron – had gone to Chase and proposed sex. She hardly knew herself, but she tried to pretend it was a good idea. They both wanted sex, and they'd already had it, after all. They hadn't gotten weird about it or anything, and it certainly hadn't sucked.

But the problem was Chase didn't just want sex. He wanted her, and if she was completely honest with herself, she wanted him too. If she hadn't, she could've gone to anyone else for sex – maybe House even. None the less, she'd chosen Chase, despite the fact that he liked and wanted her and the fact that she wanted him.

So they'd begun. Because why would Chase say no to sex with a beautiful girl whom he loved?

And almost immediately, they were in a bit too deep for Cameron's taste. House noticed. He teased them about showering together, and neither was sure if he was just kidding or not. Chase had, however, suggested that they have sex in House's bed, but Cameron had refused. She wasn't sure if she was ready to cross that line just yet. She didn't like House anymore, but it still wouldn't have been right.

The next suggestion had been hers. She had found a line she could cross – by expanding the relationship to work. Besides, what else did they have to do? The patient had been sleeping just fine when they'd left. And even though it had taken some convincing to get Chase to go along with it, he had eventually agreed.

When they got back, though, the patient was awake and exhibiting further symptoms, which Chase and Cameron had missed because, as Chase so eloquently put it later, they were "getting their rocks off."

Which reminded her, that had been a close call with Foreman, but luckily, he believed her little act. Chase, however, had been incredibly upset by her ploy. It was kind of cute actually, and as she'd said, she fully intended to make it up to him later. Besides, she couldn't tell Foreman the truth, and Chase seemed to agree; though, she wasn't quite sure he really did, but she couldn't dwell on it since he distracted her by insinuating that she wanted to make House jealous.

She ignored that the best she could. She was over House, and now, on to Chase – but just for sex, as she kept reminding herself. That was all this was. Chase, however, said they couldn't do it at work anymore, which bothered Cameron more than she cared to think about. She was seriously getting addicted here, and it was increasingly obvious, especially when Chase reminded her of how loud she was in the sleep lab.

She smiled, thoroughly pleased, and told him she couldn't help that. It was a cutesy move, and that wasn't exactly good. She chose to ignore it, though, by asking Chase to lunch with a look that suggested they might not actually be eating much lunch.

Later, Chase brought up House again after Cameron asked House a bunch of questions, and again, she denied still liking him. Because she didn't, and for some reason, she really wanted Chase to see it. Well, really, she knew why that was. She liked Chase, and it hurt that he thought she still liked House when she didn't. So she tried to convince him, but she didn't think he really believed. And why should he? She didn't show Chase she liked him. She couldn't.

She kept pushing about having sex at work, though, since she couldn't get enough of him, and finally she convinced him. Although she was fairly certain that would never work again since House had walked in on them – purposefully too.

But he hadn't done anything about it, and Cameron hadn't been able to figure it out. House never left something alone.

So Cameron dwelled and talked about it to Chase just a tad too much apparently because he snapped at her again, about liking House again. Finally House told Cuddy, and at least she could yell at him then, even if she still didn't know what he was doing.

The conversation with Cuddy, however, had been mildly disconcerting, given she'd said Cameron would be the one to get hurt. But she was supposed to be the strong one in their relationship, stringing the ever-so-lovesick Chase along. He would end up hurt in the end, if there was an end, not her. Though, now, she was slowly realizing that this was hurting her and would hurt her almost as much as it would hurt him because, as she hated to admit to herself, she liked Chase.

And it became apparent later as well when House outed them. She'd only thought of helping Cuddy, and Chase had helped her. She was grateful to him because of it, but House was House, as usual, and made fun of Chase for it. So, just like that, it was out. Foreman knew, and at first, he almost didn't believe, but Cameron was sure her face gave it all away. She wanted to explain, but House interrupted, saying she was going through all of them. Cameron had been offended and jumped on him for it, but he stopped her cold with his question about whether she loved Chase.

Thankfully, Cuddy interrupted before she could say or do anything stupid, and they moved on with their lives. Well, for a little bit anyway.

And she and Chase were able to avoid the others for awhile since the patient was leaving. Chase came to find her while she was packing Emma's camera, so they could go to supper. Cameron found a picture of him – a really good one – and asked him about it. He seemed to be avoiding her questions, but she let the matter drop when they walked upstairs, Chase taking the bag from her.

It was a sign, she decided, that he was too far into this, too devoted. He took the bag from her, and Cameron wasn't sure what to do about it. She liked Chase. She really did, but she wasn't ready for a relationship yet, not even with Chase.

But because she didn't do anything, Chase's devotion went unchecked, and in all actuality, Cameron liked the devotion. She just didn't know how to control it.

When she referred to their tryst as a "relationship," he jumped on that, questioning, then bitter when she clarified. Their "lack of a relationship" hurt him, and Cameron didn't want to leave it at that, on that bad note. So she clarified again with "because we're having sex," and Chase calmed somewhat; though the way he answered the question still revealed his displeasure. He mocked their set-up, and wanting to get him off that topic, that idea, she went with his "suggestion" even though it would reinforce his devotion by rewarding him for it. And she'd giggled, been incredibly pleased, when he seemed somewhat freaked, especially with the cat watching. He could be so cute, and Cameron liked it. It also brought out the flirtation and cuteness in her as well.

Foreman could see it. She knew he could. She and Chase weren't very good at hiding it anymore, now that they didn't have to. They laughed and flirted, talking quietly, and it annoyed Foreman, especially the insinuations, among them that the house was a "big waste of time – medically." Shortly after that, Foreman had confronted her about it, annoyed by their agreement and their relationship. Cameron, still on a relationship-high, teased him slightly or at least tried, but he wouldn't have it. He held that the relationship was affecting him and all of their jobs because as much as she insisted it was just sex, he said women couldn't separate sex from emotions. She was both offended by the generalization and annoyed that he could read her so well.

The thing was she was gradually getting more and more comfortable in this, with this relationship with Chase, but almost as soon as realized that, it all fell apart.

It had started out as innocent flirtation, asking Chase how he wanted to celebrate his life-saving find. She'd grinned at him, but all he said was he wanted more. And it startled Cameron. She had just gotten comfortable with the relationship, or lack of one, as it was, and now he wanted to change it. And she couldn't handle that, so she'd had to tell him it was over, even though it broke her heart. Because in all actuality, she was scared – scared of what she felt, scared of how this would turn out, scared of betraying the memory of her husband. Every relationship she'd had had ended badly – her husband, Joe, even House. And now Chase.

So she let him go, and go he did. It was frustrating, annoying, and devastating all at once. Cameron knew that she'd had it good with Chase, but now that was gone. And apparently, they couldn't even talk to each other anymore. They bickered and argued, and both House and Foreman had noticed. And they'd both decided to practically punish them for it. In fact, House kept sticking them together – to run tests and finally, to go to the house.

But before they'd gotten anywhere, Jasper had come up with flowers for her. Cameron thought it was cute, but Chase kind of sulked. And he continued to sulk when they reached the house. Given, she'd kind of provoked him by taking the flower from Jasper, but he didn't have to be so jealous, which she'd said but in a snippy manner. Plus, she prodded him about "loving" her, which had ended their relationship (and she hadn't said a lack of one either, so she wasn't sure what that indicated), and also about his crush, which she'd learned wasn't harmless. Chase seemed genuinely upset about it, and Cameron tried to ignore it, essentially, but she couldn't. And they'd ended up having a conversation about their relationship while under the patient's bed.

In that conversation, Cameron had let her wall down, let Chase break through again, even if just for a second. She'd actually told him that they'd had a good thing going, and he'd broken the rules. She admitted that she was upset, but she told him she'd get over it. Inside, though, she wasn't quite so sure.

She was even less sure later when she talked to Jasper. While she had denied that Chase was her boyfriend, it had taken her a bit longer to speak than was probably best, and she had avoided the question about whether she liked him liked him all together. In the end, she'd even defended Chase too, and as it turned out, he was right about Jasper after all.

Then Foreman left them alone together as well, but Cameron decided to talk to Chase this time, try to stop the sniping and arguing. So she'd started a friendly, light-hearted conversation about coffee, then Jasper, and finally, she apologized for hurting him, for misleading him. The only problem was he didn't accept her apology because he said she hadn't misled him. She was kind of surprised – both that he could read her so well and that she exuded what she really felt even when she wasn't trying to. Because, the thing was, she hadn't technically misled him.

As he said, she did actually have feelings for him, besides the sex. She just didn't want the heartache of a relationship, not even with Chase, which she told him later. He gave her flowers, and she told him she didn't want a relationship with him. All he'd said was that he knew, but he also knew that she liked flowers. And all Cameron could do was smile.

Obviously, he hadn't quite given up on her yet though. Not much later, he announced his intentions to remind her of the fact that he liked her and wanted them to be together – every Tuesday. Cameron had just gaped at him at first, but she couldn't stop thinking about it, couldn't stop talking about it. Chase just acted like it was nothing, but Cameron thought it was important. But she didn't want a relationship with Chase, did she?

It didn't really seem to matter to Chase, though, whether she wanted a relationship or not. He reminded her the next Tuesday, to which she only said, "Thank you," in a snide, sarcastic voice. But she couldn't leave it alone, could she? She'd had to ask him, "Are you really going to do this every Tuesday?"

He said he would, and he'd make it up if she took the day off. So there was that plan all messed up. But, even with that, she still couldn't leave it alone. She'd tried to work around it, but Chase wouldn't let her. He reminded her the next Tuesday and the Tuesday after that.

He'd even reminded her that Tuesday when the jerky kid was there, after she'd accused him of sabotaging Foreman's interview. He'd been upset then, and rightly so, she supposed. But she didn't think he was a heartless jerk, even though he seemed to think she did. She'd figured all along he hadn't done it, and in truth, the whole thing had partially been a ploy to get him to skip a Tuesday, to leave her alone. But true to form, he'd reminded her anyway, though somewhat sullenly.

But apparently, Cameron didn't realize just how much power Chase and the Tuesdays had over her, not until later anyway. Not until House fired Chase. Cameron had been more upset about it than she figured was strictly necessary, and she'd even asked House about it. He'd been typical House then, and Cameron remained upset.

And she stayed that way, especially after she'd met with Chase. It had been kind of annoying that House could read her so well, had been able to tell where she was going because of her lipstick. She wasn't sure what the lipstick indicated either. She shouldn't have to dress up for Chase. They were just friends, and that was the way she wanted it, right? That was what she'd intended anyway when she'd gone to meet with him.

He was just sitting there, eating a sandwich, which she found slightly odd under the circumstances, when she showed up. He told her she looked great, which she essentially ignored, and she told him that House had fired him because of Foreman. Chase didn't much seem to care, and it worried Cameron slightly, especially when he told her the Tuesdays were silly. She'd given him a look then, which he'd recognized and told her not to feel sorry for him.

She wasn't sure how to respond, and all she'd come up with was, "I'll miss you." And he'd asked her to stay, to have a drink with him, but she still wasn't sure if she was ready for that – for a relationship. She'd declined, but Allison Cameron had always been a thinker so spent a lot of time thinking about it. Until she came to a conclusion and forced herself to go to Chase's door.

She stood outside, nervously, just trying to convince herself to go up there and ring the doorbell. But before she could, Chase opened the door instead, and Cameron spun, surprised, scared, and oddly thrilled. Chase just stared at her, highly confused.

"Hi." He even sounded confused.

Cameron took a deep breath and said what she'd come to say, "It's Tuesday."

Chase smiled a moment, but almost as if he couldn't quite allow himself to believe it, he added, "Um… no, it's Monday."

"I know," she replied hoping this wasn't just some wonderful dream and that Chase actually understood what she meant. "I just – I didn't feel like waiting." Then she smiled at him, a tad apprehensively.

And after a minute, Chase smiled too, which just made her smile harder. He leaned in and kissed her then, and Cameron realized that it hadn't been a mistake after all. Everything had led her to this moment, this kiss, and it was beautiful, absolutely beautiful.


End file.
